New Delhi: Amid the Karthigai Deepam lamp row, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday attacked the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, calling it “anti-Hindu” and urged the Centre to protect “constitutional rights of Hindus” and ensure rule of law in the state.
A row on the issue of lighting a traditional lamp at a hilltop temple near Madurai erupted after the local administration allegedly prevented several devotees from performing the traditional ritual, leading to the arrest of Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran and others on Thursday.
Nagenthran and others gathered at the spot to perform the traditional ritual after the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court declined to put a stay on an order of a single judge allowing light of the lamp at an ancient stone pillar on the Thirupparankundram hill.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had twice directed that the centuries-old Deepam ceremony be allowed on the sacred hill above the Thiruparankundram Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, but the DMK government has now moved the Supreme Court against the HC order.
The DMK government’s move against the lighting of the lamps/diyas has drawn strong criticism from the BJP. In a strongly worded statement, Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad has launched a scathing attack on the M.K. Stalin-led DMK government, alleging that it is engaged in a ‘systematic, ideologically driven assault on Hindu religious rights’.
The BJP alleges that the temple administration and the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department, acting under the state government, deliberately refused to comply and instead filed appeals that were rejected by the Division Bench.
The HC directed CISF protection to ensure enforcement of the order, police personnel allegedly blocked the hill route, prevented devotees from proceeding, and also detained Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran as well as senior leader H. Raja. The BJP termed this a “wilful obstruction” of a judicial order and a direct violation of the religious freedoms guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.
BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagenthran was arrested on Thursday after he, along with senior party leader H. Raja and members of various Hindu organisations, attempted to climb the Thirupparankundram hill to light the Karthigai Deepam lamp in defiance of police restrictions. The arrest marked a dramatic escalation in the ongoing dispute over the location of the traditional Deepam ritual.
The Deepam dispute has escalated into a major legal, political and religious flashpoint. Tensions rose after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed that the Deepam lamp be lit on the stone pillar at the hilltop. The DMK, however, maintains that the long-standing practice is to light the Deepam inside the Uchipillaiyar Temple hall.
Although the temple administration initially began preparations to follow the court order, it abruptly withdrew the arrangements on Wednesday morning. This triggered protests from the BJP, RSS, Hindu Makkal Katchi, Akhil Bharath Hanuman Sena, South Indian Forward Bloc and several other Hindu organisations. As demonstrations intensified, police imposed Section 144 in the Thirupparankundram area and detained multiple protesters.
Despite the court order, the temple authorities followed tradition and lit the Deepam at 6 p.m. near the Uchipillaiyar Temple instead of at the lamp post. The petitioner and supporters demanded that the lamp be lit at the designated post with CISF protection. Justice Swaminathan allowed them to proceed to the spot with security, leading to tense confrontations. BJP cadres and members of Hindu outfits attempted to scale the hill after breaking barricades, resulting in clashes in which two policemen were injured.
The state government argued in court that lighting the Deepam at the hilltop lamp post could disturb communal harmony, pointing to the presence of a Dargah near the site. Hindu groups, however, claim that the hilltop has long been a sacred space and allege that the Dargah is a recent addition.
